The Best Mobile App & Design News

Ben Lee

CEO and Co-founder of Neon Roots

Ben Lee is the co-founder and CEO of Neon Roots, a digital development agency with a mission to destroy the development model and rebuild it from the ground up. After a brief correspondence with Fidel Castro at age nine, Ben decided to start doing things his own way, going from busboy to club manager at a world-class nightclub before he turned 18. Since then, Ben has founded or taken a leading role in 5 businesses in everything from software development to food and entertainment.

The 2014 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has come to a close in Las Vegas. The event showcased a variety of exciting new technologies, broke some of the tech world’s biggest stories, and saw Michael Bay selling TVs in the most awkward way possible. Like every year, there’s a lot to look forward to, but here’s Neon Roots’ favorite new tech from CES 2014.

Pebble Steel Smartwatch

It was the year of the smartwatch at CES 2014. Companies like Razer, Intel, and Samsung were all fighting to be attached to your wrists, but we liked the Pebble Steel. Not only does it come with a ton of new apps, it’s waterproof and has a battery that lasts a week. The best part, however, is unlike a lot of other smartwatches (that look like you strapped an iPad to your arm) the stainless steel Pebble Steel actually looks like a sleek, analog watch.

If you follow Neon Roots, you know we have an interest in 3D printing. The tech continues to become more and more accessible and MakerBot is at the forefront of the new technology. They presented their Z18 printer at CES 2014 which is designed for industrial use as it can handle larger build volumes. It’s Wi-Fi enabled and has a built-in camera so you can share your designs. The Z18 is ready to go and will begin shipping in the Spring.

Meta Pro AR Goggles

Nothing gets us as excited as new AR technology, and CES 2014 didn’t disappoint. While everyone’s minds keep wondering about the possibility of Google Glass, other companies are pushing forward with their own head-mounted devices. Meta Pro brought a prototype to the Las Vegas show which puts the wearer in an immersive environment that allows you to create and manipulate virtual objects with your hands before printing them with a 3D printer.